Could This Be the English Farmhouse That Inspired “Wuthering Heights”?

Literary history is up for grabs, if you have the means. In 1847, Emily Bronte published what would be her only novel, that is now considered an English literature classic. The story revolves mainly around two English countryside homes: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Bronte’s intriguing novel has enthusiasts ruminating over possible places that could have inspired the story, like the Moorland farmhouse owned by Heathcliff. It may be that it exists only in Bronte’s imagination, but the descriptions of the place are so precise that many believe it to be real.

The Ponden Hall is suspected to be the source of inspiration of Bronte’s only novel. It is set in a remote place in West Yorkshire, England, with a plaque set above it’s door that recalls the date of the structure’s renovation in 1801. This is the same year Emily Bronte’s novel commences. Emily and her sisters Ann and Charlotte have visited its library; the biggest private library at the time, and it has been long associated with the classic story. The historical Ponden Hall, built almost 500 years ago, is now for sale. The property has been converted into a bed-and-breakfast since 1998 and Steve Brown, the business owner, says that they merely chanced upon Ponden Hall. They had no idea about its rich history, nor did they know it was for sale. They saw the plaque on top of the door and Brown said, “We were immediately struck by the scale and its imposing presence, [And] we bemoaned the fact that houses such as these never seem to come on to the market and continued our walk.”

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The east side of the house dates back to 1541. It was later on integrated to a bigger structure in 1634, as the previous owners, the affluent Heaton family, decided to combine all of their other properties into a “manorial, gentleman’s residence.” Highlighting it is the earliest publication of Shakespeare’s plays dating back to 1623 (Shakespeare’s First Folio), and many literary scholars took note of the books there that might have influenced Emily Bronte’s work. The Earnshaw Room is another link between the Pendon Hall property and Wuthering Heights. Very much like the one detailed in the book, it has a small window too, and the descriptive resemblance to Bronte’s romance is striking.

Steve Brown and Julie Ackhurst have been managing the property for 21 years, and they have done so in a way that gives tribute to its rich literary background. “We have always given free access to Brontë pilgrims from the day we moved in, allowing the Parsonage and Brontë Society to bring tours ‘round,” Brown said. The 5,000 sq. ft. property is for sale and the asking price is £1,250,000.

The Wisdom Segment

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The famous piece of cloth that to this day resides in St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Turin, north Italy has been the subject of much research and investigation. However, no one has discovered the true origins of the shroud; and the question of whether it was the linen which Jesus Christ was buried in or not is still shrouded in mystery.

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The linen is rectangular and has a measurement of 4.4 by 1.1 meters. It has a subtle hint of an image of a naked man with his hands folded across his groin. The face marking shows a beard, mustache, and shoulder-length hair. There are reddish-brown stains on the cloth as well that is believed to be blood from Jesus wounds.

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While the Catholic Church has not officially acknowledged nor rejected the shroud, Pope Pius XII did approve of the image as Jesus Christs face in 1958. However, while the shroud does have an imprint of a face and body of someone who had suffered a similar fate than that of Jesus, there is still no evidence of how the markings were truly created.

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Scientists have been trying to prove its validity by conducting radiocarbon testing, but the tests, performed in 1988, yielded negative results. According to three different laboratory tests, the shroud only dated back to the Middle Ages, evidence that it could not have been the same linen Jesus wore, as his crucifixion took place at a much earlier time.

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However, many still believe it to be genuine, sparking many debates about the mysterious relic. Some researchers even questioned the validity of the carbon dating, suggesting that the results may have been skewed due to some material from the Middle Ages possibly contaminating the cloth. Scientists have refuted this claim, sticking to their initial finding.

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Even though the Church has never truly endorsed the shroud, numerous steps have been taken to preserve and restore its condition. It is safely kept in an airtight case under bulletproof glass. The casings temperature and humidity levels are controlled. The case is also filled with oxygen and argon to hinder chemical changes.